Brazos County Commissioners pledge to continue to discuss mental health and veterans court

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Brazos County Commissioners did not take action on implementing a mental health or veterans court at their meeting Wednesday morning. Instead Commissioners decided to plan a future workshop to gather more information.

Commissioners were in agreement a mental health court and a veterans court would be a good thing for the people of Brazos County, but were unsure about logistics and funding.

“There are a lot of working parts that we’re going to have to consider. We’re going to have to make the design. I don’t think we should build the plane while we’re flying,” Commissioner Irma Cauley said.

“It has been the practice of this court to offer a workshop inviting all the working parts, interested parts, and listening to the possibilities,” Cauley added.

Several members of the community also spoke in favor of pursuing the special courts.

“We need something to redeem these veterans to bring them back to be a productive member of our society,” one community member said.

“There are too many people in the criminal justice system in particular, but also just in this county that are on the edge of the criminal justice system waiting for something bad to happen that we could help. But we have to understand it before we can figure out a way to help them,” another community member said.

“Typically governments are reactive as opposed to proactive. We’re talking about the public defender’s office, the veterans court, the mental health court, I think we’re getting the opportunity to be proactive,” Commissioner Steve Aldrich said.

Brazos County Judge Duane Peters said the workshop will take place soon. Peters said he wanted new commissioners Wanda Watson and Chuck Konderla, who will be sworn in on January 1, 2023, to be up to speed with the court before they take any action.

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